Reality
by Eternal Hope is My Company
Summary: The perception of reality can be changed in a blink of an eye, and what was believed to be truth changes instantly. Nero learns this when encountering someone he never thought he would meet again while battling demons in Redgrave City. Set in Devil May Cry 5 with connections to DMC 2 & 4 (Likely AU once game comes out) Rated M for Nero's mouth.


**Intro Notes:** Well, this story came about as a "what if" related to DmC 5. Mainly if this game was to turn out to be a sequel to both DmC 4 and DmC 2. With a bit of tweaking in my mind of how Lucia could have met the rest of the gang and so forth, this story was born. It will likely be considered AU of course since I have high doubts of DmC 5 being a sequel to both games. But, I can dream right? Either way, hope you all enjoy! Sorry for any oocness mainly with Nero. He is not my usual muse. 

Text in italics is flashback. Text in italics and bold is present thoughts. Dialogue is in bold for making the dialogue easier to read.

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He panted loudly. His eyes darted between the demons approaching him. Many cuts still bleed along his body from his legs to even a cut along his right cheek. The regeneration would kick in eventually, but only when he didn't keep finding himself with more company than expected. **"You all that desperate for a piece of me?"** His hand gripped as tightly as it could onto the hilt of Red Queen. Even though his muscles screamed, he turned his hand and revved up his sword. **"Sorry, but you all aren't getting a single piece."**

Quickly, he swung the sword around him and sent some of the demons back. He gritted his teeth though when he felt stinging pain along his back. **"Hey, didn't you get taught any manners?"** Nero quipped even as he turned and stabbed that demon in the chest. Why the hell was there so many? For every five he killed, it felt like ten more showed up in their place. But, he wasn't about to give up even as his body begged for him to give up and run.

He took out Blue Rose and fired at the demons that were further away from him. When a demon got too close, he quickly switched to Red Queen or used his robot arm to push them back. Sometimes, he even got the chance to grip a demon with his robot arm and swing it around. It was sure amusing to see demons drop like bowling pins. Unfortunately, he felt his movements becoming more sluggish and he swore the demons were picking up in speed.

Though, more likely, it was that he was slowing down and that allowed the demons to catch up to him. Fuck!

As he blocked the attack of another demon, his legs buckled from underneath him. **"NO!"** He cried out before finding himself on his knees. **"I am not losing to you fucking demons!"** Nero gripped Red Queen and tried to quickly use her as a crutch. But, his legs slipped again and he barely kept himself from falling back onto the ground. He heard the demons making loud noises, a mixture of growls and other noises he couldn't describe very well. **"Trying to get the last laugh in? Not happening!"**

Nero started to fire with Blue Rose while leaning against Red Queen. He just needed to keep the demons at bay long enough to let himself heal. Why the hell hadn't he brought any Vital Stars or anything like that? Oh right, because Nico just had to charge so damn much for these amazing, but expensive as hell, arms. **"Dammit."** He gritted his teeth at realizing some of the demons were getting within attacking distance of him. It wouldn't be long until the demons took the chance to charge and slice him up good.

That was when he felt something hit the side of his head. **"What the hell?"** He looked down to see a Vital Star and a large one at that? He crouched down to grip it. As he did so, he noticed now the sounds of motorcycle and gunfire? Was his hearing going out on him right now? He scowled while popping the cap and drinking the damn star dry. His body itched all over as his wounds repaired themselves quickly. But who in the hell was carrying these around? Could it be Lady? Was she here too?

 **"Aww, did you all miss me? I missed you too! Now come get some kisses from Ebony and Ivory!"**

Nero's eyes widened at hearing an older voice saying such a childish joking statement. His body trembled. There was only one person he knew that sounded and spoke that way…

 **"Oh, now you are hurting their feelings! Do you all prefer some playful smacking around from Rebellion? He might have forgotten how to play nice though."**

He gulped and slowly turned his head in the direction of the voice. His eyes might as well be big as saucers now. He barely stopped himself from dropping his weapons. For in front of him, he saw a man dressed in a red cloak brandishing his weapons like a mad man against the demons. A smirk appearing to be a permanent part of the man's face. **"…Dante…"** Nero dared to say but only softly.

 **"** _ **So, where's the old man? Haven't heard from him in a while. Figured I would pay him a visit since he decided to thrust this sign upon me. I mean, what the hell am I supposed to do with it?"** Nero asked of the two women standing in, what he guessed to be, the lounge area of Devil May Cry. He noticed quickly though the way both didn't look at him or at each other. Their gazes seemed focused on the ground. **"Uh…did Pops do something stupid again? I heard he accidentally got a whole place blown up recently. The stupid old man."**_

 _Not even the jest did to lighten up the strangely heavy mood. He blinked at seeing an unfamiliar red head walk by him. Her skin was dark as Trish's had been when she was Gloria. **"And who are you?"** Nero pointed at her with a bit of a suspicious tone. He wasn't sure, but he had a feeling she was not like Lady aka a human. Maybe it was simply the way the hair looked too red or how the energy around her charged. However, the way she looked at him caused him to tense. She looked at him with downcast eyes and only the barest hint of a friendly smile like Kyrie when she was trying to stay strong. _

**"** _ **You must be Nero…They told me about you."** The stranger pointed at Trish and Lady before lowering her hand. **"Have you heard then?"**_

 **" _Heard about what?"_**

Nero watched while Dante used Stinger on some of the demons. In a defiant manner, Dante kept the dead demons on Rebellion. **"Now see? This is how you all make a shish kabob!"** The older man laughed loudly before pulling Rebellion back and spinning it before flinging it at the demons. **"Have a taste!"**

 _He looked between the three ladies and scowled when only silence answered him back. **"I said, heard about what?"** He gritted his teeth slightly. **"I don't need people hiding stuff from me."** He had enough of that bullshit with the Order of the Sword. Finally, Lady approached him and placed her hands on his shoulders._

 **"** _ **Nero, it might be best to sit down for this."** Lady's voice didn't sound like advice but more so an order. Nero huffed and walked over to the couch before plopping down on it. _

**"** _ **Well, I'm sitting down now. So, care to tell me what the hell is going on and who she is?"** Nero pointed at the stranger. He looked over at her, seeing the stranger smile just a bit more._

 **"** _ **I am Lucia. I only met Dante very recently and helped him on his last job. That's how I know him."** She answered. Her voice though did not sound happy about it. Sad even. **"I figured you wanted to know how I knew him."**_

 _It was true Nero did want to know that. Instead of confirming though, he couldn't stop himself from chuckling. **"Damn, I feel sorry for you then. He can be quite the hand full. Trish and Lady can tell you all about it. So, can I."** He pointed at himself with a smirk. **"But, Pops can be good…sometimes. Just got to get over his ADD and his perversions and-"**_

 **"** _ **Nero."** Nero stopped at hearing Trish interrupt him. **"This meeting isn't about Lucia and Dante here."**_

 _He blinked a bit and looked between the three. **"So, if this isn't about us helping another member of the "Dante is annoying" club, then can someone tell me already what is really going on?"**_

 _Trish sighed loudly before looking over at Lady. When Lady nodded, Trish walked over and sat by Nero. **"We called you here not for a job or anything like we said."** She spoke with an almost hesitant manner, making Nero tense again and squirm a bit in his seat. He didn't like the way she was talking right now. **"We figured it was best you heard it in person."** She raised her hand upon seeing Nero open his mouth. **"I'm about to say it."**_

 _Nero felt Trish gently place her hands over his human hand and his demonic hand._

 **" _Nero…."_**

 **"Hey kid, you just going to stand there?"** Nero blinked at seeing Dante standing in front of him. **"Looked like you were day dreaming or something. Bad time to be thinking about what you're going to do with Kyrie in the bedroom."** Nero's eyes widened and punched Dante out of reflex, a glare on his face.

 **"I am not doing that!"** His cheeks reddened while Dante laughed loudly. **"Yeah right."** Dante retorted with a grin on his face. Nero watched Dante turn away from him and head towards the remaining demons.

 **"… _Dante is…"_**

Nero felt his eyes sting and he hated knowing what that meant. He swallowed while watching Dante slash up the demons like they were nothing but trees ready to be cut down.

 **"… _not coming back."_**

 _His chest clenched, his hearing reduced as if something got stuffed into his ears. He thought maybe he heard the door open again. Maybe he even saw that Lady had escorted Kyrie towards him. But, all he saw was blur and felt his arms move as if commanded by something else towards the blurry presumed Kyrie. **"You all have got to be joking. The old man can't be dead."** He cried out even as he gripped on tightly to something soft. His nose pressed against the familiar softness of Kyrie's hair. **"He's a cockroach for fucking sakes!"**_

 _Yet as he looked at three women standing nearby him, Kyrie's face resting against the side of his, he saw no joking glint in their eyes. His vision blurred more to where he could see nothing at all and his body trembled as if rocked by an internal earthquake. **"Dante still owes me answers dammit! He can't be gone for good!"** He felt Kyrie wrap her arms around him more and her hands gently running through his hair. Yet, the soothing touch only solidified that this was a reality._

 _A reality where Pops was…_

 **"Sheesh kid. You really must be wanting some Kyrie or something. Never seen you so distracted.** " Nero snapped out of the memory again only to see Dante standing in front of him again. He looked about and saw no demons remaining. The old man had slaughtered them all like they were nothing. **"Though you okay? You looked like crap when I saw you."** Dante pointed over towards a motorcycle Nero could tell now was not Lady's. It looked too demonic, like Pandora had become a motorcycle of all things. **"On my awesome new ride, I might add."**

Dante grinned ear to ear. **"I'm willing to allow you to touch it since you like this kind of stuff. But, that is only with the stipulation that you-"**

He wasn't sure what stopped Dante. Maybe it was the fact he impulsively gripped onto Dante in a bear hug, clinging on life a lifeline. Whatever reasons, Dante shut up. Nero hated sometimes when his emotions got to him. But, it was this same intense feeling of emotions that Kyrie loved about him. He just wished it wasn't occurring in front of the old man. Dante was the one person he really didn't want to appear weak in front of him. Here he was though, hugging and feeling tears sliding down his face.

 **"Dante…you're alive…."** He somehow got out without his voice cracking. **"You're really alive and out of Hell…."** He didn't dare say any more as he buried his face against Dante's shoulder. After a minute or two, he felt a hand slowly and almost tentatively rest against his back while the other rested against the back of his head.

 **"Have I been gone that long? It only felt like a day…"** Dante didn't sound like he was joking. But, Nero couldn't help but laugh in that upset kind of way.

 **"Damn pops…you are shit at keeping time…."** Nero didn't dare to pull away for fear of looking all puffy and red eyed. **"You've been gone for a few years now. Stupid old man…."**

Dante didn't immediately say anything to that. Instead, the old man now hugged him rather than resting his hands-on parts of his body. He felt Dante's head lean against his. **"…Sorry kid. Never meant to be gone this long. Think you all will forgive me?"**

Nero sniffed. Oh, how he hated that he sniffed. **"…Just shut up for a few minutes and that will be a start."**

The older man laughed and Nero felt Dante nod. **"I can do that, Nero. But, think you can explain the arm-"**

 **"After."** Nero said quickly, causing the older man to shut up. Dante seemed to have gotten the hint and Nero closed his eyes. He took deep shaky breaths while letting himself bask in the realization.

 **… _alive and well again._**

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 **End Notes:** Like I mentioned at the beginning, I hope you all enjoyed the story and first attempt in years of publishing a fanfic again! Please leave a comment and review. Let's rock! (Oh how I welcome the return of DmC~)


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